How to Make Money from Your Clutter

If you wake up one day and you finally realize that you’re tired of seeing all your unwanted clothes and other stuff (story of my life LOL!), then, perhaps it’s time to let them go. I’ll be sharing with you today some tips on how to declutter and how to make money from your clutter.

I was a shopaholic in my younger years.

And in those years of excessive shopping for clothes, bags, and shoes, I have collected a ton of stuff.

They are now lying untouched in my closet collecting dust.

Primarily because I don’t fit them anymore. Some of that stuff, even if it still fits me, doesn’t suit my current style anymore.

I know that I’m not the only one having this predicament.

I know a lot of people who also have a closet full of stuff. Some of my friends even have an entire room full of things that are not being used anymore.

Later on, I realized, that instead of letting them collect dust in my closet, that I could make money from them or find some other use for them so they would not end up in the trash bin.

Now is the best time to declutter and to free up some space for all the blessings that will come our way.

If you are also thinking of doing the same thing then read on. Here are some tips on how to declutter and make money from your clutter.

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

Pull Everything Out from Your Storage Bins

The first thing that you have to do is to pull everything out from their respective storage bins, closets, cabinets, etc.

To make this systematic and organized, do this one bin at a time.

Or if you have ample space to work with, pull everything out and put them in one room (if you have multiple rooms in your house) or in just one corner of your room (if you live in a studio and have limited space).

Sort Everything in Four Boxes

Prepare four large boxes that could help you categorize all the items that you have pulled out.

Box #1

Put all broken and unrepairable items in Box #1.

All the items that you will put in Box #1 will be thrown away.

This may include clothes that have large tears or holes or have accumulated too many fluffs and stains.

This may also include some household items that will be more costly to repair.

Once you’re done sorting, you can immediately throw this away to free up some space in your room/house.

Box #2

Put everything that you will keep for yourself in Box #2.

This is the tricky part because we have the tendency to keep everything for ourselves.

When choosing items to keep, bear in mind that these things are the ones that you still value in your life.

These are the things that you still use or prefer to keep because of an important reason.

Box #3

Put everything that you want to give away to your friends, and family or donate to charity.

These are the things that are still very useful and don’t have any damage at all or have very minimal or repairable damage.

Box #4 

Put everything that can be sold into Box #4.

These are things that you think other people will still find value in.

Remember that other people’s trash is someone’s treasure.

So as long as the items are in good condition and are still very usable, they will still be sellable.

Photo by Lia Trevarthen on Unsplash

Re-Sort Box #2

This is the box where you have put the thing you’ve decided to keep.

Once you have done the initial sorting, I highly suggest that you re-sort Box #2.

This is to ensure that everything you have put here the things that you are really intending to keep.

Bear in mind that the goal of this activity is to declutter and to only keep the things that you still find value from.

Re-Sort Box #3

This is the box where you put all the things that you will give away to family, and friends, or donate to charity.

I suggest that you re-sort this box and organize the items based on who the recipients are.

To help you better organize this re-sorting activity for Box #3, you may use smaller boxes or plastic bags where you will put the stuff.

Label each box or plastic bag with the name of the recipient.

Once you’re done re-sorting Box#3, you may ask your friends or family to collect these from you or you can ship them directly to them via any courier or using a same-day delivery service such as Lalamove.

By doing so, it will immediately free up some space in your room/house.

Once you have done the initial and second sorting, now is the time to put them back in their respective storage spaces.

This is also the best time to organize your closet and to make sure that you will easily find everything that you frequently use.

There are many ways to effectively and efficiently sort your closet and I will write a separate post about it.

Photo by Richard Brutyo on Unsplash

Create Online Accounts

Since you have disposed of, given away, and reorganized Box #1, 2, and 3, now is the time to take care of Box #4.

The first thing that you have to do is to create online accounts on selling platforms where you intend to sell them.

Some of the most popular websites for selling second-hand items online include eBay, Carousell, Shopee, Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, or your own personal Facebook page.

You don’t have to create an account on all of those websites if you don’t have much to sell.

In my personal experience, I find more success in selling second-hand items via Carousell but it’s up to you on which platform you prefer to use.

Once you have created an account then it’s time to post them online.

Post Items to Sell

To help effectively and efficiently sell your second-hand items, I highly suggest that you do the following:

Take Clear Pictures

Take clear pictures of the items that you want to sell.

In order to have a clear picture, make sure to photograph the items in a well-lit area.

Lighting is the key to a good photograph.

If you don’t have a steady hand and if your camera phone doesn’t have an OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) feature, then I suggest that you use a tripod.

Take multiple pictures.

If you are going to sell a bag, then take pictures of all sides and all corners including all hardware, the interior, and the labels or tags if it’s a branded bag.

By providing multiple pictures, you will get to avoid getting repetitive questions from prospective buyers about the condition of the bag.

It will save you and your prospective buyers a lot of time.

Provide a Complete Description

Aside from pictures, almost all selling platforms provide a space where you can describe the items that you are selling.

Disclose the condition of the item especially flaws that do not register clearly in pictures.

By providing a complete and honest disclosure about the item that you are selling, you will avoid the possibility of having the item returned to you.

Aside from describing the condition of the item, you can also put in the description box your payment and shipping options.

Where to Sell Your Clutter

Online

As I have mentioned above, there are many websites/apps that have a huge following for second-hand items.

Some of these websites include but are not limited to: eBay, Carousell, and Facebook Marketplace.

Garage Sale

If you live in a community with a relatively huge population such as condominiums or gated subdivisions, then you can also sell your clutters in your garage/house/condo unit.

You have to set a date on when you want to have a sale.

To make sure that people know about it, post an advert on your community bulletin board or Facebook page.

Community Bazaars

Sometimes, especially during holidays, various subdivisions and other gated communities and churches organize their own community bazaars.

There may be a fee to join but I think it’s very minimal.

 

Rinse and Repeat

Once you have cleared most or all of your clutter, you can do this quarterly, bi-annually, or annually depending on how much free time you have to keep your house clutter-free.

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Do you have additional tips to share? Feel free to comment down below.